HK1024198B - Storage container for analytical devices - Google Patents

Description

Storage container for analytical device

The invention relates to a storage container made of rigid material for two or more analytical devices, in which the devices can be individually received in cells arranged in an indirect regular geometric relationship to each other, each cell having at least two holes sealed by a foil. The invention also relates to a system for storing analytical devices, comprising a storage container according to the invention and two or more analytical devices.

Carrier-bound rapid tests are now established in specialized laboratories for chemical and biochemical analysis of solid and liquid samples, and this method is used in particular outside of the laboratory setting. Despite the often complex reactions involving sensitive reagents, such rapid tests for the establishment of combined vectors based on specially developed dry chemistry are simple and uncomplicated and can even be performed by laymen. The best known example of a rapid test with a combination carrier is the test strip used to determine the blood glucose content of diabetic patients. Single or multi-zone test strips and various indicator papers for urinalysis are also known. Since, in addition to strip-like forms (test strips), rapid tests with combination carriers also exist in other forms, these carriers are generally referred to as "analytical test elements".

Dry chemical combination carrier rapid tests typically have multiple layers of packaging for sale to end users. The rapid test is usually in a first layer of packaging immediately surrounding it (first package) which is in turn placed in another packaging (outer package, second package) in which, in addition to the first package, there is usually contained a rapid test operating instruction in the form of a package insert. The basic functions to be fulfilled by the design of the first package are to keep the chemical and biochemical components on the test element functional for a long period of storage, in any case to protect them from light, from moisture, dirt, bacteria and dust in the atmosphere, and to protect the test element from mechanical damage.

The first package is most commonly in one form provided with the test element loosely mounted in an aluminium or plastic tube which is pressed or screwed in with a stop. The above-described function of the first package can be satisfactorily fulfilled with these tube packages. However, these tubes are similarly outdated because it is complicated to manually remove the test elements from the first package, which is why alternative packaging solutions have been developed. In addition to the properties mentioned above, these packages should additionally allow the test elements to be individually and automatically removed from the package and fed directly to a measuring instrument for measurement by the instrument and thus evaluation of the test results.

EP-A0622119 describes a storage system for strip-shaped test elements made of a rigid, water-and steam-tight material, in which the test elements are stored individually in foil-encapsulated cells (individual encapsulation). The cells for storing the test strips (another name for strip-like test elements) are in the form of tubes with a rectangular cross-section, which are arranged in a geometrically regular manner oriented with respect to one another, so that the storage system is in the form of a substantially rectangular parallelepiped magazine or hinged box in which a plurality of parallel cells are arranged in line next to one another, or in the form of an elongated cylindrical flat disk, so that the cells are arranged radially around a central axis. The test elements can be removed from the storage system by manual or mechanical means, while the test elements remaining in the storage containers continue to be protected by the individual packaging. EP-A0622119 also describes the possibility of providing the test strip with a desiccant, such as silica gel and molecular sieves, in the chamber, in order to absorb moisture remaining during the manufacture of the test strip, or moisture which, under sealing and the use of a water-vapour impermeable material, still penetrates into the chamber. On one of the outer sides of the storage system, a data carrier can be attached, for example a readable label, a bar-coded label or a magnetic strip, on which the batch-specific data and optionally further information of the test elements in the system are stored, which can be recalled. Some storage containers for test elements described in EP-A0622119 are suitable for use in appropriately designed measuring systems which essentially consist of a measuring instrument, a storage container and a test element.

European patent EP-A0732590 and U.S. Pat. No. 3, 5,489,414 describe disk-shaped storage containers for test elements, which are particularly suitable for compact measuring instruments, such as self-monitoring blood glucose meters for diabetics. In this case, the test elements are arranged in a plane radially around the center of the disk and individually enclosed in blisters to isolate them from dirt and moisture, as is known for individually packaged tablets. According to EP-a 0732590, a separate blister for the drying agent is provided for each test element in the storage container and communicates with the blisters of the test elements in order to ensure that the test element blisters are effectively dried.

From US 5,510,266 and EP-a 0738666 it is known to manufacture a cylindrical magazine of test elements from plastic by injection moulding, wherein the individual test elements are arranged in successive compartments extending from the bottom of the magazine to the opposite cover, in a manner similar to a magazine in a revolver. Also mentioned above is EP-a0622119, in which the test elements are enclosed in parallel elongated tubular cells, respectively, which are arranged radially around a central longitudinal axis, and the circular bottom and the surface of the lid of the cylindrical storage container are sealed with foil, e.g. aluminum foil. To remove the test element from the magazine, a plunger can be used to penetrate one of the sealing foils and push the test element out of the chamber via the corresponding sealing foil, so that the test element can be removed and supplied for the desired use. As in EP-A0732590, each test element chamber is provided with a separate desiccant chamber which communicates with the channels, so that the test element chamber can be reliably dehumidified by the desiccant. The test element magazine of US 5,510,266 and EP-a 0738666 is also primarily designed for compact measuring instruments.

One disadvantage of the above-described prior art storage containers is that the test elements are not optimally protected against environmental influences, in particular mechanical influences. The blister pack of the test element described in EP-a 0732590 and US 5,489,414 is made of a relatively thin plastic film, the properties of which are such that it only provides inadequate protection for the test element so as not to prevent mechanical damage, for example when the pack is inadvertently pressed or bent. In this case, the test element storage containers of US 5,510,266 and EP-a 0738666 provide better protection because they are made of rigid solid materials, at least stronger against pressure and bending than blisters. The tubular packaging types disclosed in US 5,510,266 and EP-a 0738666, however, also have their mechanical weakness, namely that in order to make a sealed test cell, the bottom of the cylinder and the surface of the lid are sealed with a sealing foil. These sealing foils are usually made of thin foils, such as aluminum foil, in order that they are easily penetrated when the test elements are to be removed, but they are also easily damaged, for example when the package is inadvertently dropped or inadvertently placed on a support. Since only a small opening in the sealing foil allows dust, bacteria and atmospheric moisture to penetrate into the test element chamber, serious damage can be caused to the test element protected by the packaging.

Another disadvantage of the above-mentioned prior art storage containers is that automatic removal of the test elements, for example by means of a plunger, often leads to tilting of the test elements in their chambers, so that these systems are not sufficiently reliable in dispensing the test elements.

The disadvantages of the above-described test element packaging solutions are basically also applicable to other analytical devices such as lancets or sampling elements. Although these two devices typically do not contain sensitive reagents and do not need to be protected from the environment, care must be taken to maintain the chamber of the storage container in a sterile condition so that the stored components do not become unusable for longer term storage.

The object of the present invention is to eliminate the drawbacks of the prior art. In particular, it is an object of the present invention to provide a compact storage container for analytical devices, i.e. test elements, sampling elements and lancets, which can be produced inexpensively in large numbers and which reliably protects the analytical devices located therein from harmful environmental influences, such as light, moisture or mechanical influences. In addition, it should be possible to integrate the storage container into the analysis system in such a way that the system has compact measuring instruments, storage containers and test elements, enabling the analysis device to be removed reliably, i.e. without errors.

The invention relates to a storage container made of a rigid material for two or several analytical devices comprising separate cells, in each of which at most one device is received, wherein the cells are arranged in a regular geometric relationship to each other, and wherein each cell has at least two opposite holes sealed by a foil, wherein each cell has a means for fixing the position of the analytical device in the cell.

The term "analytical device" is generally understood to include analytical test elements, cuvettes, pipettes or lancets. They are preferably referred to as analytical test elements or lancets, in particular as analytical test elements. Analytical test elements, as used herein, means test strips which can be evaluated visually or optically, with instruments, electrochemical sensors, and the like. Since such analytical devices are widely described in the prior art, familiar to the expert, and have numerous embodiments, a detailed description is not necessary here. For reference, the following documents may be found, for example: german patent application No. 197538479, patent EP-A0138152, EP-A0821234, EP-A0821233, EP-A0630609, EP-A0565970 and WO 97/02487.

The shape, function and material of the storage container according to the invention are in the majority in accordance with the prior art. Particular mention may be made of EP-A-0622119, EP-A-0738666 and US 5,510266. Reference is made explicitly to these documents.

The storage container according to the invention has a particularly suitable shape, essentially an elongated cylinder, in which a plurality of cells for holding the analysis device are arranged radially around the longitudinal axis. The cartridge height depends essentially on the length of the analysis device to be received. The bottom and the surface of the lid of the cylindrical container contain a number of cell pores, which are tightly sealed by the foil. All the holes on the surface are preferably sealed individually and independently of each other, but with only one foil. With a single and independent seal, the sealing foils of the remaining cells can be protected against damage when one cell is opened.

The body of the storage container according to the invention is preferably made of a rigid, injection-moulded plastic, such as polyethylene or polypropylene. The foil used to seal the cell perforations, also known as sealing foil, is preferably made of aluminum or a laminate of aluminum and plastic and is bonded tightly to the plastic body of the storage container by known means such as welding or gluing. The sealing foil is preferably fixed to the injection-molded body with a hot-melt adhesive. In order to prevent adhesive residues from protruding into the device compartment or beyond the edge of the storage container, according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, a region for receiving adhesive residues can be provided on a single or all affected edges, for example a circumferential groove can be provided on all affected edges for receiving adhesive residues.

In a preferred embodiment of the storage container according to the invention, a desiccant is stored separately for each chamber of the analysis device, which desiccant is preferably received in separate desiccant chambers. In principle, all drying agents which are solid or pasty substances can be used as drying agents, in particular cerium silica gel molecules and similar materials. The size of the desiccant chamber may be determined based on the amount of desiccant required to dry the chamber of the mounting device. The desiccant chamber and the device chamber are interconnected to allow gas exchange. They are preferably interconnected by a channel allowing air exchange between the two chambers, thus drying the device chamber. The size and geometry of the channels are preferably arranged so that desiccants such as silica gel and molecular sieves do not enter the device chamber. The size of the desiccant particles must also be selected accordingly if desired.

The desiccant chamber preferably contains two apertures, one of which is used to fill the chamber with desiccant (input port) and the other of which provides communication to allow the desiccant chamber to exchange gas with the analysis device chamber (channel opening). The opening of the channel must be kept open at all times in order to dry the chamber of the device, and the inlet can be sealed after filling with the desiccant. This prevents the desiccant from escaping unintentionally when subsequent manufacturing or filling steps of the storage container, for example, are carried out according to the invention. The inlet of the desiccant chamber may suitably be sealed, for example by covering it with card, paper, plastic foil or metal foil. It is also suitable to cover the inlet with a plug of plastic or adhesive. The inlet opening of the desiccant chamber is particularly preferably sealed by a plug of injection-molded material, which is pushed into the hole from the edge region of the hole by means of a suitable tool to form the hole cover.

The main difference between the present invention and the storage containers for analytical devices known from the prior art is that in each chamber for holding a single analytical device, means are provided for securing the analytical device in its position in the chamber. The result of fixing the analysis device in the cells is surprisingly advantageous, since damage to the foil is prevented, and the foil is sealed individually for each cell, which also prevents the ingress of moisture, dust, dirt and bacteria. When the storage container is inadvertently dropped, shaken or bumped, the sealing foil can be broken by the analysis device in the prior art storage container, since the analysis device is not fixed in the container and can therefore move in the chamber. With such containers it is not possible to ensure a reliable sealing of the individual cells during manufacture, storage, transport and use of the storage container, so that the analysis device in the cell is not reliably protected. This problem is solved according to the invention by introducing means for fixing the position of the analysis device in the cell. Securing the analysis device within its chamber greatly prevents the sealing foil of the chamber from being inadvertently broken by the analysis device.

Various designs are possible as a means for securing the analysis device in a fixed position within the chamber according to the invention. However, in addition to fixing the position of the analytical device within the chamber in a stable manner, these facilities must also enable the analytical device to be easily loaded into the chamber and to be removed from the chamber again when required for use.

It has been found that a preferred means of securing the analytical device in a fixed position within the chamber is to narrow the chamber portion, preferably in the region of the chamber opposite the withdrawal opening of the analytical device. The narrowing may be continuous, e.g. conical or stepwise, and the analysis device may be fixed from one or several sides. The narrowing of the cell may be related to one wall of the cell or several walls over the entire surface of the cell. However, it is also possible for the chamber to have one or several bulges in its wall facing the interior of the chamber for the purpose of narrowing. The shape of the individual elevations may be identical or different and may for example be in the form of arches, rods, drums, protrusions, ribs or the like. The bulge of the cell wall has the effect that the analytical element is only partially contacted for fixing its position in the cell, which makes it possible to optimize the forces generated during the fixing.

According to the invention, it has proved particularly suitable to fix the analysis device in the chamber by conically narrowing a part of the chamber wall and by forming one or several elevations on the chamber wall. Three ribs provided on two opposite chamber walls are particularly suitable as elevations which slightly bend the analytical device in the chamber and use the resulting bending stress to fix the analytical device in its position. Of course, the bending should not damage the analysis device or impair its function.

Furthermore, it has proven advantageous according to the invention if only one of the at least two openings of each chamber of the storage container according to the invention is suitable for inserting and removing an analytical device. So that only one of the two holes needs to have enough stool to pass through it to remove the assay device or insert the assay device into the chamber when loaded. This property of the well is hereinafter referred to simply as "being penetrable by the assay device".

In prior art storage containers (in particular EP-a 0738666 and US 5,510,266), both the hole in the bottom surface and the hole in the lid surface can be penetrated by an analysis device contained in the storage container. When the analysis device is installed in the storage container according to the prior art, one surface of the storage container is first sealed by a foil, then a plurality of analysis devices are respectively installed in the chambers provided for this purpose, and finally the still open surface is also sealed by a foil. A disadvantage of this method is that the first foil is easily damaged when the analysis device is loaded into the cell and that two manufacturing steps are necessary to seal the cell. In the preferred storage container according to the invention, however, only one of the at least two holes of the chamber is in any case penetrated by the analysis device, these disadvantages do not exist. The chamber allows access to the analysis device before both holes are not sealed by the sealing foil, since one hole of the chamber cannot be penetrated by the analysis device, and this hole serves as the bottom of the chamber on which the inserted analysis device rests. The risk of damaging the foil during this process step is thus reduced. Alternatively the process of sealing the cells with the foil may be performed simultaneously on both sides of the hole. The sealing foil which continues on the side of the storage container according to the invention can, however, be substantially not damaged or pierced from the inside by the analysis device in the cell, since the hole of the cell on this side is not accessible by the analysis device, so that the reliability of the storage container according to the invention can be increased.

The removal of the analysis device from the storage container according to the invention preferably takes place by means of a plunger which pushes the analysis device out of the chamber. For the preferred embodiment of the storage container according to the invention in which one of the two wells of the chamber is not penetrable by the analysis device, it is preferred that this well is penetrable by a plunger which is then used to push the analysis device out of the storage container. It is particularly advantageous for each chamber to have a guide for the plunger. This keeps the plunger and the analytical device located in the chamber in a correctly defined relative position during the ejection, so that the plunger and the analytical element are prevented from tilting or sliding one over the other.

When the analysis device is to be removed from the chamber, the foils used to seal the perforations of the chamber of the storage container according to the invention must be able to be peeled off from the chamber, and they naturally constitute a potential mechanical weakness of the storage container according to the invention. This is limited in the choice of material and thickness of the foil, and the sealing foil must be able to be torn by the analysis device in the chamber when the plunger is pressed against the analysis device. Furthermore, the analysis device must not be damaged when the foil is torn open. In order to protect these sealing foils, for example when the storage container is placed on a flat support, it has been found according to the invention that the surface of the storage container sealed by the foil is provided with elevations, in order to prevent direct contact between the foil and the support. According to the invention, the bulges can be designed as thin peripheral flanges around the periphery of the storage container. It has also proved advantageous to provide a bulge in the center of the foil-sealed surface of the storage container according to the invention. The protuberances may have any desired shape such as ribs or a plurality of regularly spaced hills. The height of the elevations depends substantially on the thickness of the foil used. The bulge must have at least the thickness of the sealing foil plus the thickness of the possible adhesive layer for fixing the sealing foil to the storage container. But preferably at least 300 to 400 microns protrude beyond the surface of the sealing foil. The ridges are preferably not covered by the sealing foil, but are preferably empty in the area thereof. In this case the sealing foil is preferably provided with a suitable graphic before being applied to the body of the storage container. Mounting such a sealing foil requires of course that the sealing foil is correctly positioned with respect to the main body of the storage container.

It has proven to be particularly advantageous to form at least one of the surfaces of the storage container according to the invention which is provided with the sealing foil not flat but in a shallow conical shape pointing downwards. This is a suitable surface through which the analysis device can be pushed out of its chamber using a plunger. Of course this can also be done on the opposite surface thereof, which is sealed with foil. The advantage of such a conical surface is that the sealing foil can be protected from accidental damage, since only the peripheral edge can rest on a flat surface. Furthermore, due to this geometry, the force required to tear the foil can be reduced. The taper of the cone to the flat surface is suitably at an angle of from 1 to 45, particularly from 1 to 10, and preferably 5.

Suitable means are provided in or on the storage container in order to hold the storage container according to the invention in the measuring instrument and to enable the individual analysis devices to be taken out automatically. In this respect, it is essential that the storage container is correctly positioned relative to the functional component of the measuring device, in particular relative to the plunger, in order to remove the analysis device. In a preferred embodiment, the storage container according to the invention therefore comprises a central bore in which a matching guide pin of the measuring instrument can engage. Furthermore, the opening or the opening can have a recess or a gear ring, in which a corresponding drive of the measuring device can be engaged in order to move the storage container into an advantageous extraction position.

In the corresponding measuring instrument a guide pin engages in the central hole of the storage container, holding the storage container in the correct position for removal of the analysis device. For example, when the storage container is used in a measuring instrument, a drive gear ring can be arranged on the edge of the central opening and a correspondingly shaped counter-element can engage in it, by means of which the storage container can be rotated in the measuring instrument. The rotation of the storage container in the measuring device enables the storage container to be rotated into the respective predefined position, so that the test element can be removed from the measuring device by means of the plunger and the test element can be used for the measuring process.

The invention also relates to a system for storing analytical devices, comprising a storage container according to the invention and two or more analytical devices.

As mentioned above, the system of the invention comprises a storage container according to the invention. At least two, preferably 10 to 20, analytical devices are provided in the storage container, each device being individually sealed within the chamber. The analytical device is preferably a test element for analyzing a liquid, such as a diagnostic test strip or a lancet, which test element is most suitable. It is of course also possible to receive several types of analytical devices according to the invention, such as test elements and lancets, each of which is received in a respective chamber.

The system according to the invention may furthermore comprise a compact measuring instrument which is capable of holding together the storage container according to the invention and the analysis device, preferably a test element, contained in the container and of removing the analysis device from the storage container. In the process the analysis device can rely on the measuring instrument to perform the required analysis.

Finally, the subject of the invention is a system for storing analytical devices, comprising one or several storage containers according to the invention, each storage container having two or several analytical devices therein, which storage containers are contained in one container.

In order to increase the protection of the analysis device and the storage container according to the invention from harmful environmental influences, in particular moisture, light and mechanical stress, they can be packaged in an enclosed container, for example a metal or plastic tube which can be sealed with stoppers. The container surrounding the storage container preferably has a further desiccant, which increases the storage stability of the analysis device.

The advantages of the invention can be summarized as follows:

fixing the analysis device in the chamber of the storage container protects the sealing foils against accidental influences such as mechanical stresses which occur when dropping, bumping or shaking.

The fixing of the analysis device in the chamber of the storage container can lead to a correct positioning of the analysis device relative to the plunger, so that the analysis device can be pushed out of the chamber by means of the plunger. This prevents the plunger from sliding past the analysis device when the analysis device is pushed out of the storage container.

Securing the analysis device within the chamber of the storage container may also guide the analysis device as it is pushed out of the storage container. The risk of tilting of the analysis device during this process is thus reduced.

Since the two opposite apertures of the cell are preferably designed to be of different sizes, only the sealing foil on one side can be penetrated by the analysis device, so that when the container is dropped, collided or shaken, the sealing foil on the other side of the cell which cannot be penetrated by the analysis device is not exposed to danger by impact with the contents of the cell. In addition, the manufacture can be simplified, since both surfaces containing two holes of the cell can be sealed in one operation step.

In order to prevent the foil from being damaged when the storage container is placed on a flat surface, the surfaces of the storage container sealed by the sealing foil according to the invention have a special design, which is to provide the surfaces with ridges and/or to give the surfaces a conical shape pointing downwards.

The protective sealing foil also helps to protect the analytical device within the chamber of the storage container.

In addition, the body of the storage container according to the invention can be produced inexpensively by injection molding.

The invention will be further elucidated with the following figures.

Fig. 1 is a side view of a preferred embodiment of a storage container according to the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic top view of the circular base (lid) of the storage container of fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic top view of the circular base (bottom) of the storage container of fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view through the storage container in fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a transverse cross-sectional view through the storage container of fig. 1.

FIG. 6 is a schematic enlarged partial view of the test element cell in the top view of FIG. 2.

Fig. 7 is a diagrammatic longitudinal section through another preferred embodiment of a storage container according to the invention.

Fig. 8 is a schematic, partially enlarged cross-sectional view of the storage container of fig. 7 taken along line B-B' through two cells.

Fig. 9 shows diagrammatically a preferred system according to the invention, which comprises three storage containers for test elements according to the invention and a container for storing these containers in the form of a tube which can be sealed with a stopper.

The reference numerals in the drawings refer to:

1 storage container

2 test element

3 test element Chamber

4 conically inclined upper edge of the storage container 1

5 sealing foil on edge 4

6 on the conically sloping upper side 4 of the storage container 1

7 desiccant cell

8 flat lower edge of the storage container 1

9 raised on the flat lower edge 8 of the storage container 1

10 center hole and drive ring gear

11 lower edge 8 sealing foil

12 holes for plungers

13 holes for taking out test elements

14 holes for filling desiccant

15 walls of the test element chamber 3

16 narrowing of the test element cell 3

17 guide groove for plunger

18 ribbed in the chamber wall 15

19 lancet

20 lancet cell

21 blood pricking needle body

22 tubular container for three storage containers 1

23 stop for tubular container 22

Fig. 1 shows a particularly advantageous embodiment of a storage container (1) according to the invention in a side view, which container is used in this case for storing analytical test elements. The storage container is substantially in the form of a cylinder having a circular, conically tapering upper side (4) and a substantially flat lower side (8). The upper edge (4) is in this case the edge from which the test element can be removed. The lower edge (8) is the edge through which the plunger can penetrate into the storage container (1) so that the plunger can push the test element out. The storage container (1) shown is preferably made of a rigid injection-moulded plastic, such as polyethylene or polypropylene. The conically inclined upper edge (4) and the flat lower edge (8) are provided with sealing foils (5, 11) in order to protect the analytical test elements contained in the storage container (1). These sealing foils (5, 11) can be glued or welded to the injection-molded body of the storage container (1). Bulges (6, 9) are provided on the lower edge (8) and the upper edge (4) of the storage container (1) in order to protect the sealing foils (5, 11). These elevations are preferably part of the injection-molded body of the storage container (1). They ensure that the sealing foils (5, 11) are not damaged when the storage container (1) is placed on a flat support. The sealing foils (5, 11) are provided with cut-out profiles in the regions where the bulges (6, 9) are provided, so that the bulges (6, 9) are not covered by the sealing foils (5, 11).

Fig. 2 shows a top view of the conically inclined upper side (4) of the storage container (1). It is clearly visible that a plurality of test element chambers (3) are arranged radially around the elevations (6) of the conically inclined upper side (4) of the storage container (1). The test element compartment (3) contains a hole (13) for removing the test element on the side of the storage container (1) facing the conical inclined upper side (4).

Means for fixing the test element in the test element chamber (3) is provided inside the test element chamber (3). On the one hand, a narrowing (16) is provided in the test element chamber (3) to enable the test element in the chamber to be fixed from two opposite sides. On the other hand, a rib-like elevation (18) is provided on the chamber wall (15) of each test element chamber (3). The chamber wall (15) also contains a guide (17) for the plunger.

Fig. 3 shows a top view of the flat lower side (8) of the storage container (1), as in fig. 2, with the sealing foil removed. In this figure it can be seen that the plunger bore (12) and the desiccant bore (14) both surround a central bore (10) and a drive gear ring surrounded by a ridge (9). A plunger-like opening (12) is provided on the side of the test element chamber (3) facing the flat lower side (8) and can be used to push the test element out of the test element chamber (3). The hole (12) for the plunger is connected to the guide groove (17) of the plunger.

The desiccant chamber communicates with the test element chamber through a channel not visible in fig. 3. The dimensions of the channels are selected such that individual desiccant particles cannot pass from the desiccant chamber into the test element chamber, but gas exchange between the two chambers must of course be ensured.

Fig. 4 shows a diagrammatic longitudinal section along the line B-B' of the preferred storage container (1) from fig. 2. The section particularly illustrates the position and shape of the test element chamber (3), the desiccant chamber (7) and the central bore (10) and the drive gear. As is also clear from the section in fig. 4, the upper side of the storage container (1) is conically inclined. Furthermore, a test element (2) is schematically shown in order to clarify its position in the test element chamber (3).

The test elements (2) can be removed from the storage container (1) by means of a plunger which penetrates the sealing foil (11) on the lower side (8) into the holes (12) provided in the test element chamber (3) and is pushed out of the holes (13) upwards by means of the sealing foil (5) on the upper side (4). The position of the test element (2) is fixed in the storage container (1) by means of a narrowing (16) and a rib-like elevation provided on the chamber wall (15) of the test element chamber (3). This largely prevents the sealing foil (5) on the upper side of the storage container from being punctured unintentionally. The sealing foil (11) on the lower edge (8) of the storage container (1) is also protected against piercing by the test element (2) because there is only one hole (12) for a plunger on the bottom (8) of the storage container (1) in the region of the test element chamber (3), which hole is not accessible by the test element (2).

The purpose of the central hole (10) is to hold the storage container in a measuring instrument. The storage container (1) is held in the correct position by engagement of a guide pin in the central bore (10) of the respective measuring instrument. The elevation (6) on the conical, sloping upper side (4) of the storage container (1) serves, in addition to the above-described function of protecting the sealing foil (5) on the upper side (4) of the storage container (1), to stabilize the position of the storage container (1) in the measuring instrument. The bulge (6) can engage with a matching recess or groove, for example.

A drive gear rim is provided below the central opening (10), which can be brought into engagement with a correspondingly shaped mating part when the storage container (1) is inserted into the measuring device, by means of which engagement the storage container (1) can be rotated in the measuring device. The storage container (1) can be brought into a corresponding predetermined position, so that the test element can be removed from the measuring instrument by means of the plunger and used in the measuring process.

In a particularly preferred embodiment of the storage container according to the invention, a desiccant chamber (7) is provided diametrically opposite each test element chamber (3), which can be filled with a conventional desiccant, for example a silica gel-type molecular sieve, via the openings (14). Each desiccant chamber (7) is provided with a directly adjacent test element chamber (3) and is connected by a channel to allow air exchange between the two chambers.

Fig. 5 shows a cross section of the particularly preferred storage container (1) from fig. 1 along the line a-a'. This figure shows the rib-like elevations (18) particularly clearly in the chamber wall (15) of the test element chamber (3). Three such elevations are provided per test element cell (3).

FIG. 6 is an enlarged detail of the test element chamber (3) shown in FIG. 2, wherein a test element (2) is held in place by means of rib-like elevations (18) in the chamber wall (15) of the test element chamber (3). The rib-like elevation ensures that the test element (2) is slightly bent and is fixed in the test element chamber (3) on the basis of this bending strain. The narrowing (16) of the test element chamber (3) serves to further fix the test element (2). The test element (2) can be inserted into the test element chamber (3) by inserting the test element (2) into the chamber (3).

Fig. 7 shows a diagrammatic longitudinal section through another preferred embodiment of a storage container according to the invention. Unlike the previously described embodiments, the embodiment shown in FIG. 7 comprises a lancet (19) as the analysis device, which is accommodated in a lancet chamber (20). The lancet (19) is partially surrounded by a lancet body (21) made of plastic.

As shown in FIG. 8, the storage container (1) according to the invention can have a lancet chamber (20) in addition to the test element chamber (3). The geometric arrangement of the test element chamber (3) and the lancet chamber (20) can be similar to the geometric arrangement of the test element chamber (3) and the desiccant chamber (7) shown by way of example in fig. 5. In addition to the test element chamber (3) and the lancet chamber (20), it is also possible in principle to provide a desiccant chamber, wherein the lancet chamber (20) can be connected to a test element chamber (3) via a channel, for example, in any case, to allow gas exchange. However, it is also possible in the particularly preferred embodiment shown in fig. 8 to dispense with a separate desiccant chamber. For example, it is possible to produce the inner wall of the test element chamber (3) from a desiccant-containing plastic and also to produce the lancet body (21) from a desiccant-containing plastic. In the latter case, it is necessary in any case to allow gas exchange between the test element chamber (3) and the lancet chamber (20), for example via a connecting channel.

Fig. 9 shows schematically a preferred system according to the invention, which consists of three preferred storage containers according to the invention and a tubular container (22) which can be sealed with a stopper (23). The system shown in fig. 9 is used to protect the storage container (1) of the present invention, for example, during storage and shipment to end users. The tubular container (22) is preferably made of a stable, lightweight, water-impermeable plastic or metal such as polyethylene or polypropylene or aluminum. The stop (23) is preferably also made of one of the materials mentioned. In the form shown, the stop (23) is simply pressed into the tube (22) so that it seals tightly. Of course the tube (22) may also be sealed with a screw cap or hinged closure. Additional desiccant may be arranged in the tubular container (22) or received in the bottom or in the stopper (23) to stabilize the test elements contained in the storage container.

Claims (12)

1. Storage container (1) for a pocket-sized measuring device, made of a rigid material, intended for two or more analytical devices (2), comprising a plurality of individual cells (3), each of which can receive at most one analytical device (2), wherein the cells are arranged in a regular geometrical shape with respect to each other, each cell (3) having at least two opposite holes (12, 13), each hole being sealed by a foil, and each cell (3) having means for fixing the position of the analytical device (2) within the cell (3), the analytical device (2) being slightly bent within the cell so as to be fixed in its position by means of the bending stresses generated.

2. A storage container according to claim 1, characterized in that a partial narrowing of the cells is used as a means for fixing the analysis device.

3. A storage container according to claim 2, wherein the cells have one or more protuberances projecting into the walls of the cells to narrow the cells.

4. A storage container according to any of claims 1-3, wherein the analysis means is able to pass through only one of the at least two apertures in each chamber.

5. A storage container according to claim 4, wherein one of the at least two apertures of each cell through which the analysis means passes is not permitted to pass by a plunger, whereby the plunger is able to push the analysis means out of the storage container.

6. A storage container according to claim 5, wherein each cell contains a guide for a plunger.

7. A storage container according to any of claims 1-3, characterized in that the foil-sealed surface of the storage container has elevations which, when the storage container is placed on a flat support, prevent direct contact between the foil and the support.

8. Device for storing analytical devices, comprising a storage container according to any of claims 1 to 3 and a pocket-sized measuring device with two or more analytical devices.

9. The device according to claim 8, wherein the analysis device is a test element for analyzing the liquid.

10. An apparatus according to claim 9, characterized in that it additionally comprises a measuring device adapted to hold one or several storage containers according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

11. Apparatus for storing analytical devices, comprising one or more storage containers according to any one of claims 1 to 7, each storage container having two or more analytical devices, the storage containers being contained in one container.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein said container containing the storage containers contains a desiccant.